3 things we learned from our Facebook Chat on Treadmill Workouts

Yesterday, on Facebook, we asked Barry’s Bootcamp COO and trainer Joey Gonzalez to hop off his treadmill—or at least slow it down to a walking pace—to talk with Well+Good readers about our 2015 trend of group treadmill workouts that are taking off at a sprint. Thanks to all who joined the Chat!

What did he say? Well, unlike the gimmicky fitness things that come and go each year, this workout has staying power. “I don’t see it as just a trend like so many other types of cardio workouts,” he says. “What could be more natural and basic than to RUN?” Good point.

During the Facebook chat, we were joined by other top group treadmill studios, like Mile High Run Club in New York, and Burn60 in Los Angeles, who shared their observations on why we’re all running to treadmill classes. Here’s are three things we learned from the Chat:

1. How to know if your treadmill incline setting is your friend—or foe
“Like so many other things in fitness, it depends on who you ask,” said our chat’s host, Joey Gonzalez. “As a coach, I don’t have clients running hard or sprinting on high inclines ever. But I definitely use over 6% inclines with jogs, speedwalks, and other types of leg focused exercises.”

2. Treadmill workouts aren’t just a New York thing
“We have watched the trend grow since we opened our doors in 2005. Technology has made the treadmill a viable tool for personalized interval group fitness,” said Burn60 of its popular Brentwood studio.

3. Having a scrapbook filled with race bibs is not a requirement
“I often have a few people in each of my classes who ran the NYC Marathon this past year,” says Mile High Run Club founder Debora Warner, whose Manhattan studio debuted this fall. “But it’s not limited to people who identify with being a runner. I love seeing the elite ultra distance athletes showing up for the same class as the beginners!” —Sarah Sarway